Chapter 3: The Untold Story

Dennis and the gang had somehow managed to sneak their way into the invitation list for the play’s casts’ camping trip that weekend. Lily’s excuse was that she needed to get away but she never told anyone exactly why. Heather was part of the play now, and as for Dennis, Chris, John, Beyonce and Athena, they just wanted something fun to do in the weekend.

Rain Island wasn’t exactly an island, but somewhat of a large secluded field in the middle of nowhere. Anyone who knew anything about camping knew this place, and knew how remarkably cheap it was, so basically the whole school could have scrounged a lift if they wanted.

As soon as they arrived, Beyonce, Athena and Lily managed to secure a cabin, but since it was four per, they reluctantly accepted Heather. Well, Lily was somewhat pleased, but then again, no one really knew what on earth actually pleased her.

They had been at the site for just under an hour when the teacher decided they should all go out and traverse the neighboring forest. It wasn’t dark yet, but the sun wasn’t exactly out. At first Dennis and his posse were together in their first forays of the forest but they decided to split up, with Dennis and lily predictably walking hand in hand.

When he was sure they had wandered far enough from the company, Dennis said to his girlfriend, ‘I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but you seem a bit… off the pace lately.’

‘Off the pace?’ she managed to smile. ‘What does that even mean?’

‘Honestly, I have no idea but it sounds cool. Seriously though, Lill, are you okay, because of late it doesn't look like you are.’

‘I’m fine, Dennis,’ she replied far from convincingly, and then left it at that.

Usually Dennis wouldn’t question her when she said she was fine but this time he didn’t seem very sure that she was actually fine. Actually, he knew half the time she said she was fine she was lying, but decided to do nothing. ‘Remember the time you fell asleep in class and woke up screaming?’

‘Dennis, why do you have to bring that up?’ she asked. This camp was supposed to help her forget the pains of her daily life, and here Dennis was, bringing up the secretly forbidden topic. ‘Haven’t we already talked about this?’

‘We did talk about it, Lily, and guess what you said: “I’m fine, Dennis, I just felt something running up my leg.”’

‘I did…’

‘Bullshit!’

Silence. They had stopped walking and their fingers untangled with Lily staring up at her boyfriend in shock. She had no idea he had this side to him; the side that would actually call her a liar to her face and hold his stance. And here she thought her boyfriend was spineless.

Folding her arms, Lily looked forward and continued trekking. Dennis quickly followed her with an apology but she dismissed it. ‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘I’m actually glad you said it.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah.’ She stopped again and gazed into his eyes. From time to time she would look away and back, but Lily knew she needed to talk to someone, and who better than they boy she supposedly loved? ‘I haven’t been entirely honest with you,’ Lily admitted.

Dennis took her hands, squeezing them slightly and reassuringly but didn’t say a thing. This was one of those times where he would just stare back at her and wait for her to speak. A tear began forming at the corner of her eye which Dennis quickly wiped away. ‘Its okay, Lily,’ he said, ‘you can tell me anything.’

It was too dark, dusty and gothic for Heather’s liking but judging by the guys that surrounded her, this was “homely”. At night this little abandoned cabin could probably pass for haunted, but she figured the band members would actually enjoy that.